When It Rains
by Kimiko Heroux
Summary: Aku Otoko has a goal, an aspiration, a dream. Limitations are nonexistent, and any and all beings - Pokemon & humans alike - are mere pawns to bring him closer. The one he pursues is the one that may lead him to his downfall. After all, life isn't a game, and Fate is never fair. "You can run all you want, but you can't hide for very long." [OC-centric. Ties into canon.] -on haitus-
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, I know that I already have so many things I'm working on right now, but I got bored and I didn't have my flashdrive with me to work on any of my current writings, so I just started randomly writing whatever came to me, and it turned out to be a Pokemon story. I've had this idea in my head for the longest time, so I decided to write it.**

**And I know that I said in my profile that I wasn't gonna write any more Pokemon fanfiction after posting All Is Fair In Love And War, which was posted a looong time ago, but playing my HeartGold and Black really got me in the mood, so I'm actually gonna follow through this hopefully.**

**This mostly features a bunch of my and my friend's OCs, but I might throw some canon characters in there somewhere maybe, depending on what parts I decide to actually put in this. I got a plot mostly-defined in my head, but not exactly a layout of events. So I actually might accept a few OCs from my R&R'ers, but if I start accepting I will say so at a later time.**

**Anyway, I'd better put a disclaimer here before I forget, and that should cover for the rest of the story. Disclaimer: Everyone should know full well I don't own Pokemon, aside from my OCs. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo.**

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><p>.:When It Rains:.<p>

Prologue:

The moonlight reflected its image upon the water, ruffled only slightly by the wind that blew gentle waves across the lake. Stars were littered across the sky like millions of little shining fireflies, twinkling and sparkling like cut diamonds. The land was silent and without disturbance, like under an enchanting spell that froze it within time. But all who have seen the world that exists knows that all peace must be corrupted and erupt into war and violence.

This was the place where Pokemon were at harmony with one another, untainted by unwanted intruders, untouched by the dirty fingers of humans. Here, they could live the quiet lives they desired, without the fear of being captured and enslaved unwillingly by these "Trainers". It was an isolated haven for these creatures, cut off from the world around it as if it simply didn't exist. And to most of the humans in existence, it didn't.

"Mr. Otoko, we have traced the Targets. Would you like us to proceed?"

Mr. Aku Otoko scratched his chin thoughtfully, chuckling to himself about his current plight. "No, that is quite all right. I think I'll do this one myself," he responded, his teeth glittering in the dim light, getting up from his seat to glance out the window of his private helicopter down to the world below. He loved how small everything looked from there; it made him seem more dominant than those futile creatures that believed they were important. He would show them just how wrong they were for thinking such foolish things.

"Sir, we're preparing to land!" a voice called from inside the cockpit, notifying his superior of their current status. "We shall be arriving precisely a quarter mile south of the targets. A south wind three miles an hour. Thirty percent chance of light rain within the next sixty minutes." Listing these conditions was a given when serving under Mr. Otoko, as for each and every one of his missions, he desired to ensue without any surprises.

"Perfect..." He fingered a red and white sphere in his palm, rolling it around in his fingers without any thought about it. Clicking a little button in its center, the ball increased in size, and his grasp on it tightened. "Things are going just as planned. No obstacles, no delays. And soon they will be mine..." His dark gray eyes revealed his high satisfaction with his position.

The shiny, black helicopter that carried this man of high esteem and power landed in a small clearing surrounding completely with full, verdant green trees. Silhouettes of many shapes and sizes were cast into the darkness from the low light of the moon, reflecting off the steel that covered the man-made mode of flight. A large metal door on the side slide open quietly, and Mr. Otoko's tall, slender figure stepped down out of the copter, the motion of the propeller blowing his deep, forest green hair every which way.

"Now it is time for a little hide and go seek..." He made his way briskly through the foliage, brushing past bushes and trees with little sound to be made. The same PokeBall still in his hand, with his other, he pulled out a large ring of cold, dark metal. It was about two inches thick and had a diameter of about a ten inches. But the technology that his team of scientists had been advanced enough as to create it out of such an alloy, that once activated, would expand or contract to fit around the target. The perfect sort of weapon for an operation such as the one he was now embarking upon. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

He snickered at his own words, and then he proceeded to cast forth the PokeBall he held without a word. The Pokemon inside appeared before him, staring him hard in the eyes, standing just over five feet tall. It had a round, helmet-shaped head with a double ax-head blade protruding from the top that came down and mostly concealed his black and yellow face. His shoulders were crimson, resembling shoulder-pads, and its arms and torso were all black. Instead of hands, it had metallic gloves that had a place where blades could retract from them. Midway around its chest were two sharp blades, resembling the ribcage. Its large red thighs thinned as they ran down to its metallic feet that had a resemblance to hooves.

"Bisharp," Mr. Otoko caught his Pokemon's attention with little mercy written in the notes of his voice, "...Find them."

A swift, short nod from Bisharp, the retracting of its hand blades in a single tightening of its muscles, and the Sharp Sword Pokemon was off. It darted noiselessly through the forest with great velocity, its eyes moving in all directions. It knew that they were close by, it could sense their presence in its loins. It was gaining distance on them quickly, and they should be entering plain sight at any moment. And that was when things would end for them. Bisharp knew its place, and to deliver them into the hands of its master was its distinct placement.

In mere seconds, the dual-type burst out of the trees to the shore of a small lake. It stopped abrupt at the water's edge, looking to the air to gaze at the large, bright full moon. It stood motionless for brief, fast-moving seconds, listening, waiting. It turned its head slightly to the right. There.

A blue and white Pokemon emerged from under the waves, water dripping off its dragon form. Two long wings jutted out of his back and on his chest was a red diamond. He had a long neck that connected up to a rather narrow head. Two ears stretched back and on his forehead between them, was a white teardrop shape. Small white arms protruded from his torso up to blue from the elbow up. His eyes were a deep, hypnotizing red.

No moments wasted, Bisharp jumped up. Its hand glowing white, it struck the blue Pokemon in the face with a Sucker Punch, catching him off-guard and dealing a fair amount of damage with its Dark type attribute. The target faltered back, offense and annoyance in his eyes, and he shook of the attack before charging up and firing an orange-colored Hyper Beam attack in retaliation. When Bisharp merely help up its arm to block the attack, the Pokemon's eyes grew wide.

And now, with him left defenseless in having to recharge after the previous Hyper Beam, Bisharp took this chance to strike again with the blades on his hands aglow in a purple hue, slashing the Pokemon across the chest with a Shadow Claw. The gashes began to ooze crimson down his soft body.

He fell and was submerged back under the water's dark surface as Mr. Otoko arrived into the area. Things were proceeding smoothly, and at any moment, they shall be all his for the taking. He watched the waves settle as he walked over to the shoreline, mumbling aloud, as if his prey was actually able to hear his words, "Target Cobalt, you're soon to be all mine..." He pressed a button on the side of the ring he was holding and it split in half, each of the two parts held together by a hinge. "Finish him, Bisharp!"

His Dark-Steel Pokemon's entire emnity glowed and he leapt up over the water and struck down upon it with a Giga Impact. Waves rose from its epicenter multiple feet high and sprayed hard against the shoreline. The blue Pokemon was flung from under the surface onto the hard dirt, blood pooling where he laid bruised and bleeding. Bisharp stepped toward its enemy, a single blade out before him and in the ready to finish things.

"Metal Claw, Bisharp." His master's voice came without emotion, so cold, uncaring, heartless. He fingered the metal ring in his hand as his servant prepared to strike, and he felt little, cool droplets of rain lightly touch his skin with nothing short of the gentleness of an angel. A snide smirk was plastered onto the distinct curves his face; the beginning of his life goal was about to open up before him like a little flower coming into bloom.

The Sharp Sword Pokemon raised up its arm, the blade on it shining in the moon's light like a guillotine moments before delivering its justice to the wrongdoer. Its eyes trailed onto the helpless Pokemon, calculating just where to bring down its attack. It was personally against such violence; no one in the right mind did things of such magnitude of cruelty, but it was its master's wishes, and that mean there was no other option in the matter.

Out of nowhere, Bisharp was struck down by a newly-arrived figure with a Bulldoze attack, cast off meters away from its previous place. It made a ninety-degree turn and stared sharp, gleaming daggers at the newcomer that looked ever-so similar to Target Cobalt, but where it was blue on him, it was red on her, and his red diamond was blue on her. She had sunflower yellow eyes and a white triangle on her forehead.

"I knew that if we threatened Target Cobalt, Target Roseate would come out from hiding...And the timing couldn't be better than this minute that lay before us..." The only human present gazed in sick amusement as the blue Pokemon was bathed in its own pool of blood, struggling to make some sort of attempt at movement. _Pathetic..._he noted mentally before adding aloud, "...But no less valuable to my cause."

Target Roseate cried out fiercely and released a Dragon Pulse attack, blowing back Bisharp, knocking it off its feet, and causing it to lose consciousness instantly. That enemy out of the way, she veered her head around and put herself in between her blue double and Mr. Otoko. She narrowed her eyes to glare hard at the human a mixed expression of hurt and hatred. Her heart burned for the being behind her; she felt the pain that was filling his body. Her quiet, troubled voice emitted from her mind rather than her mouth, whispering out to the wind, "Brother..."

Her head turned around towards her double and that split-second of distraction was all Mr. Otoko needed to complete part one of his mission. He thrust the metal ring he held forth and it clipped securely around Target Roseate's neck, lighting up red on contact, and sending the red Pokemon into agony by sending countless volts of electricity through her skin and consuming her whole body. She cried out a heart-wrenching scream and collapsed to the ground, but still watching her enemy with bright yellow eyes.

The callous human spoke down to her like a teacher scolding a misbehaving student, toxic strong in his voice, "Now you just do what I say, otherwise you'll be in for quite a shock." He chuckled to himself at his own, horribly cliché pun. "So you just sit there while I take care of your brother. It won't take long, I assure you..." He pulled out a second ring and clicked the button to open it. "This is so much easier than I originally anticipated. To be honest, I was hoping for more of a struggle from you two."

He threw the ring at Target Cobalt, but Target Roseate intercepted the ring despite the constant shock she was receiving from her movements, it clipping alongside the first ring. Her motion also managed to strike her brother, knocking him back into the water. Through sharp, high cries from the electrocution that was flowing down every vein in her body, she called out to him, "Escape to safety, Brother; worry not about me!"

Her head fell to the ground and her eyes squeezed shut, deprived of all strength. Mr. Otoko crossed his arms, looking down at her in frustration. "Foolish, Roseate, but much can be expected from ones like you. One is well enough for now." He looked up to the sky, seeing that dark clouds were drawing in, signaling the coming of rain. "I'll be back for you in time, Cobalt. You can run all you want, but you can't hide for very long."

From under the waves, Target Cobalt, watched the shore above, his sister's words echoing within him, "_Escape to saf_e_ty_, _Brother_..._"_ He now knew no place safe. This was his home. He had been to many places, but this was the only place he found peace and protection, and now, it had been disrupted by the invasion of humans. _Fear not, Sister,_ he thought, wincing at the cold water seeping into all of his wounds, _I will come for you. Just hold on for me..._

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><strong>End AN: I'm sorry the prologue is so short. Everyone should know who Target Cobalt and Roseate are, but a cookie to anyone who figures out what Aku Otoko's name means (aside from Zoroa15 and Toshiku Yumari; they already know what his name means).**

**Please R&R. I really wanna know how well I did on this after not writing a Pokemon fanfiction for about...two years maybe? Criticism is always welcome, because I believe there's always room for improvement. Thankies!**


	2. Chapter 1: A Long Way To The Top

**Sorry this chapter is so short. I just wanted to post one more chapter of one of my stories before school begins on Monday. I know I didn't get too much written in really anything this whole summer, but I've been super busy with running and vacation and uh... writer's block.**

**Anyway, this chapter is pretty much to help introduce some of the characters and parts of their teams. I know all of the girls so far kinda all seem really similar, but I'm gonna work out their personalities. Over time, I'll show how they really are deep down. **

**Also, as reference, the location this 'fic takes place is in Johto. **

**Please R&R!**

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><p>Chapter 1: A Long Way To The Top<p>

"Isis, give a counter attack! Ice Beam!" Kimiko Heroux beamed, showing all of her teeth, pumping her fist outward and tossing her head along with it, her brown hair moving with its motion as her Glaceon recovered from an electric attack from the opposing Pikachu and fired the pale blue beam back in counteraction.

Janero, the little electric mouse, readied himself for a command from his Trainer, Mara. He knew not to make a movement without her command, as she may have a strategy that he knew not of. Therefore, it was imperative to keep a firm stance and wait for orders.

And one came. "Janero, Z-pattern Iron Tail!" the burgundy-haired teen commanded, throwing her arm out trying to give emphasis to her strong request with an arm motion. She rubbed her shoulder and smiled, her red hair falling into green eyes that were sparkling with anticipation and excitement.

As the Pikachu zigzagged, approaching Isis with a glowing tail, Kimiko frowned, calculating in her head the endless possibilities on how to react and exactly what to call. It was one thing to watch and figure, but it was another to be the one on the battlefield being attacked. This coming to mind, her lips curved up slightly, and said, "Isis, do what you will. Better make it quick, though, Bud!"

The ice Eevee evolution glanced back at her Trainer for the briefest of moments, reading her eyes that lacked all strategy at this point, and nodded in confirmation. She had to make her own move this time, something Kimiko reasoned was good for a Pokemon's independence and learning ability. And so Isis leaped upwards to dodge the oncoming attack, but she didn't predict that Janero would veer up and proceed with his Iron Tail.

His thunderbolt-shaped tail sliced through the air and struck Isis on her cheek, doing serious damage on contact since she was neither prepared nor on guard for the attack. The force of the blow sent her reeling downward to crash into the hard dirt.

But she was far from done. She was never done until her partner said so. And she refused to give up so easily, especially when going against this little _rat_.

Kimiko grimaced. Janero was giving out more than she had originally assumed he would. But she knew her Glaceon; she'd give it a hundred ten percent before letting herself go down for the count. They had won competitions with that same ambition. So why was this low-rank Trainer _winning_?

_They won't be smiling like that for too much longer. I'll bet my badges that Mara doesn't even have a plan cooked up yet; she's just going on the spur of the moment. It's fun to watch how this develops when I get to keep a Trainer on her toes..._ Kimiko flexed her fingers down at her side and suddenly released another full smirk. "Okay, Isis, let's make this fun! See if he can dodge a storm of Ice Shards!"

Mara had only one thing to say when there was suddenly a barrage of serrated ice crystals sent deluging in every possible direction: "Oh crap."

Janero was thrust backwards at the force of the sleek, aerodynamic spears of ice impelling on his skin and driving him rearward with more vigor than he could think of returning. Sure, he could take a hits like this here and there, but not as many has he was receiving so endlessly. He cried out after holding peace for as long as he could muster, and found himself on the ground, fading in and out of consciousness, and unable to rise back up.

His Trainer knew that round had concluded, and returned her closest partner to his PokeBall, pausing only momentarily to mentally congratulate him for putting up a good fight before saying, "You got lucky this one time, Kim, but I promise round two will be different!" She placed Janero's PokeBall back in her bag and pulled out a different one. "Avenge Jan, Blade!" She threw the ball up, and in a flash of white light, a Pokemon with a tall, slender figure appeared.

He had blades that were one with his arms, piercing crimson eyes, and a single Mohawk-shaped blade protruding from atop his head. From his wide, disc-shaped waist downward was all white, while above was primarily shades of green. On both sides of his chest was a red, down-pointing triangle. His mouth was firmly set into a frown and his body was locked into a combatant pose.

Mara was obviously pleased with herself at this point. "Surprise!" she called out, a grin placed back on her lips at the arrival of one of the strongest members of her team. "Check it out, Kim, I evolved my Kirlia to Gallade with my Dawn Stone. And now he's here to kick. Your. Butt."

Her opponent crossed her arms, one side of her lip rising up higher than the other. _Things are finally getting somewhere. Now let's see if she knows how to work this guy properly. She has to learn that great power comes with a great responsibility..._ "Ha, I must say I'm impressed." She pulled out Isis's PokeBall and returned her companion. "And now, let's even up this battle even more." She pitched another forth. "It's your call, Chaud!"

A fire Pokemon with a likeness to a bird stood in front of Kimiko, facing away from her. He was substantially taller than the newly-arrived Gallade and was covered with orange and red feathers. He had a crest on his head that was shaped like a V, long hair behind his head, and a small face. His long, strong legs were designed for jumping and martial arts. He had thin arms that led out to grey claws and wrists that burst into flame.

Mara paused for a moment to take in the next battle target. "A Blaziken? Sweet! I've always wanted to take one of these guys on! Better be on your guard, Kimiko!" the redhead proclaimed, giving her a smug facial expression with the addition of a thumbs-up.

The brunette laughed to herself and returned the expression and hand gesture. "I can say the same to you, Mar. Get ready, girl, 'cause I'm not gonna hold back! My rep is at stake here and I can't stand anything short of a victory... And while we're at it, let's raise the stakes to not just pride, but also loser pays for dinner at the restaurant of winner's choice!" Despite the heat of the battle, it was much like Kimiko to be thinking of other irrelevant things on such occasions. And where the next meal was coming from was one of those primary things. "And I have a great restaurant in mind!"

Ronin Heroux watched in curiosity the battle between his sister and their close acquaintance taking place before him from his place on a conveniently-located rock. The battle so far was in favor of his sister Kimiko, since she was more experienced and had the advantage of a team consisting of old companions, but Mara had proven to be creative. All the factors had to be applied before making a good deduction of a winner this early in battle, and it didn't help that his mind just couldn't focus today.

His icy blue eyes kept trailing back over to Mara, forcing him to keep pulling them away for them only to drift back over to her again. Anyone would tell him that she isn't his type, but then again, what did they know about _his_ _type_? It wasn't like they could determine it like they could the type of a Pokemon. He happened to like the way her hair fell over her headband, despite the reason for it being there was to prevent that very thing; he didn't care what anyone else thought. _Wait, when did I start thinking about this anyway?_

He ran his fingers through his white bangs and tried to get back into thoughts of the battle. At that particular moment in time, Chaud and Blade were sparring against each other with Night Slash. They were seemingly on a level playing-field, being pretty well matched in ability and level. But he figured the battle would go on for a long duration, seeing that neither Fighting-type was getting worn out. _Great. It seems like I'm gonna be sitting here a while...At least I got nothing more important to do..._

He sighed as he began to mindlessly toss a PokeBall up and down in his hand, feeling no motivation to do anything more complex than that. His sister had forced him to come along with her "to train and stuff", as she had said, but he had ended up sitting around as soon as they not-so-expectantly met up with Mara (which was the only part he wasn't exactly complaining about). Kimiko's impulsive personality had brought them into a countless number of messes, but this was one of the rare occasions that it had brought him a substantial amount of monotony.

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><p>"Tiner, veer right and strike with Bubblebeam!" Sorano Kato flipped her ebony bangs out of her cerulean-colored eyes with a toss of her head, her ponytail swiping back behind her. Her arms were out, bent at a slight angle to retain her balance upon her Mantine as it rode the waves that surrounded her hometown of Cianwood. Her manta ray Pokemon made a sudden ninety degree turn to the right, making the teen tighten the muscles in her legs to hold pose, and fired translucent blue bubbles at an already-angered Corsola.<p>

Corsola, taken aback by the force of the attack, veered around and jumped up out from the waves. Water fell from its body as the coral protruding from its dorsal side glowed white. Flipping its form around, it fired glowing white spears.

"Watch it, Tiner! It's a Pin Missile!" Sorano's warning came too late as the attack hit the unprepared Mantine on target, square in its face, causing him to tip suddenly and make the Trainer fall into the water. She wiped her face and looked about. _Ah-ha. Got an idea…_ "Tiner, get ready!" She sucked in oxygen before taking under the waves. Swimming quickly, she came up behind the unwary Corsola in one breath and clamped her arms around it. "Haha, got it!"

It struggled fiercely but the girl was stuck fast, eventually getting her legs into the mix to help secure the little pink Water-Type. She got poked in the eye with a rod of coral, but still grinned brightly. "Crazy little devil, ain't he?" she questioned to her own companion, as if she wasn't in the middle of the water fighting a wild Pokemon with her own two hands (and legs). She managed to pull out a PokeBall from the belt around her waist. "Okay, now get in the ball!" She slammed the little button in the center of the ball on its head, it opened, and Corsola was sucked inside.

The PokeBall shook violently, the center button glowing on and off sporadically. But then, it burst open in a flash of light, sinking deep into the water, and revealing a highly-ticked off Corsola.

"Uh…hi?" Sorano bobbed hopelessly as the Dual-Type whacked her on the face with its coraled horns, making her go, "OW!" and get a big fat bump on her forehead. It fled underwater, and she pouted in irritation, scoffing out, "Jerk."

Tiner swimming over to her side, she began to stroke its head. She beamed in a cheesy sort of manner, telling him, "We'll get 'im next time! No problem, Tiner, it's a long way to the top!" Beginning to pull her body back onto her Pokemon, a flash of blue caught her eye in the far distance, halting her current task. "What…?" Her eyes narrowed to make out details, but her vision failed to accomplish the undertaking. She watched as it traveled across the water with great speed.

In mere moments, another figure came up behind it, in close pursuit of its target. Sorano could not distinguish features of the newest arrival, either, but the whole concept of the chase struck her dumbfounded; her previous combat compared not to this, and something about it made her believe that something—something she knew not of—was going to take place. She grinned and pulled herself onto her Mantine. _But it's not gonna happen without me!_ "C'mon, Tiner. This we have to check out."


	3. Chapter 2: Run Away

**Finally I completed a chapter in SOMETHING! And of all things, I didn't think it'd be this. To be honest, the only reason I started writing in this new chapter is because I accidentally opened the file and then got instantaneous inspiration. Who knew?**

**Anyway, this chapter is a little more developed than the previous, though in my opinion, it kinda sucks overall. Throwing it together in two days really isn't the kind of preparation I do, but then again, I do like this one better than chapter one. **

**And now that I think about it, it seems like I gave Ronin kinda a gay personality in this chapter. He's not normally how he is in this one, but Mara makes him act kinda like Chandler from Friends, imo. I tried to base him a little off of one of my real life friends here, but I don't think that went over well DX **

**Please, please, please review! I really don't know how I'm doing with this, since I haven't written Pokemon since...a long time, so I would love any comments or criticism or anything. I know it would be better if I made a canon-character story, but I don't wanna change what I have planned. Maybe after I finish one of my writing projects, I'll write a Pokespe fic (cuz I really love Gold, that crazy nutcase) **

**So, now, enjoy this mess which I hardly dare call a chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Run Away<p>

"I think they went this way, Tiner!" Sorano thrust her gaze towards the large channel in between her home island and the Johto mainland, holding her body secure with highly-tightened muscles. She wiped sweat from the blazing sun above with the sweatband on her wrist. "Go, go! They can't be that far ahead now!" Her bright blue eyes scanned the shorelines, her hand making like a visor upon her forehead, blocking the burning beams and assisting her vision.

The wind tousled her bangs wildly about and created high, fierce waves. They splashed forth upward and their spray made Sorano's gentle green, short-sleeved sweatshirt appear to be a deep, forest green. If it wasn't so warm and bright, she'd most likely be cold, though that wasn't completely certain because of her fiery personality making up for lack of physical temperature. The girl put forth many surprises, especially with her ambition spurring all of her motions in split-second decision, so any possibilities aside from that expectation for new exploits weren't even considered within her mind that was always buzzing with freshly-impelled anticipation.

She spotted movement along the shoreline just east of Olivine, on a sandy beach opened from the surrounding forest, and grasped a PokeBall hooked to the belt slung loosely at an angle around her waist. "There, Tiner! Ganbatte!" She grinned and her shining eyes glittered through her dark bangs, watching the second figure close in upon the first she had seen moving across the water with high curiosity. They were closing in quickly on the scene, and when mere meters were between them and the shoreline, Sorano leapt from her Pokemon's back. She returned her Mantine to its red and white sphere, and she treaded on the sand farther on the shore to witness the current undertaking.

"Finish it!"

Her hair was a deep red-gold color, pulled back into a tight ponytail, her bangs curled around into woody brown eyes. With dark jeans and a pull-over hooded sweatshirt, she finished her attire with wristbands that were black with a yellow strip circling around and a single-strap bag. Her figure was firm and straight, poised with knees locked into position, and a dark-colored Ball was clenched in her fingers. As her eyebrows pointed down to pair with a frown to make a hard, sour expression, she watched her Haunter preparing for a Night Shade.

Sorano opened her mouth without thought. "Hey!"

The girl turned in surprise, her solid persona dissolving into confusion mixed with a burning anger. "What do you want?" When a silence followed, she spun back around to the battle, and then shouted profanities at the realization that her slight distraction had given her target the perfect opportunity to flee the scene. She shoved the PokeBall back into her bag and then faced Sorano with a look of death put on her face so precisely that it was rather obvious that she had a lot of practice with it. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The black-haired girl merely blinked her surprise and bafflement before words decided to come out of slightly ajar lips with the half-pace of what would be called normality. "What's wrong with me? Just chill, it was a mistake—"

The taller and most likely the older girl was mere inches from her in a millisecond. She clamped her fingers around the neckline of Sorano's sweatshirt and lifted her single-handedly so that they met eye-to-eye without looking neither up nor down. The girl's russet-hued irises burned with pure rage. "You honestly don't have any idea what you just did? You must be an idiot to not understand. You're one of those half-wit beginners, aren't you?"

Sorano merely stared back at her, clenching her back teeth together to prevent any sort of retort to fall out that normally would've done so. Her interpretation of this girl was easily made, and it, in all honesty, made her a little unnerved to be so close and under these sort of circumstances that left her almost completely vulnerable. Words wouldn't have made her situation any better; if anything, it would've gotten just that much worse.

With her free hand, the girl reached over and grabbed the closest Pokeball to her on Sorano's belt, triggering an involuntary stifling of Sorano's breath, and examined it closely. Instead of the usual, classic red that normally topped the Ball, the color was a calming green that matched the owner's shirt in shade. This didn't amuse the off-redheaded teen; such a thing was a waste, and her discouraging frown stated this word for negative word.

She clicked the center button of the electronic sphere and its size increased. She angled it to the ground and it burst open in flash of crimson light. What was revealed to be inside was a small, green, four-legged Pokemon. It had bright cherry-colored eyes, a large leaf protruding from atop its head and a necklace of buds around its neck. It voiced a perplexity that was also written on its face with a small, "Chika?" and looked to and fro from its Trainer and the unfamiliar human.

Sorano angled a single crystalline eye towards her Pokemon. "Kori," she mumbled with the corners of her lips bent downwards. She looked upon her Starter with thoughts streaming through her mind before averting her gaze away again to look at the girl. "Touch him and you'll regret it, girl."

"Sass me, _girl_, and I think you're the one that's gonna regret it." The response was accompanied sharply with daggers of ice in her solid glare. "I do what I want. If you think you have any authority over me, then you're sadly mistaken. Because if you've forgotten—" Her Haunter suddenly loomed over her shoulder, a glint in its blood-colored eyes and evil within its smirk. It snickered in devious pleasure. "—Well, I guess action speaks louder than words." She glanced out of the corner of her eye, as if transmitting commands to her Pokemon with her expression.

Sorano took a chance. She sent her leg into motion, angling her foot so the joint where it connected to her tibia and fibula made a V, and struck her captor in the back of the knee, aiming for the area of the meniscus between the femur and tibia, which made her leg crumble under her body from the force and trajectory of the blow. Both girls fell as a result, but only one grunting out in discomfort as she made contact with the hot sand.

Sorano put herself back onto her feet quickly, staggering a little in quick recovery, and received a hard stare from the girl she managed to fell. She pushed her bangs out of her face and crossed her arms across her chest. Her head was tilted slightly to one side as she said indifferently, "Now, I'll call a truce if you don't try to decapitate me in the process." Her mouth flat-lined as she waited for a decent answer and when she didn't get one, questioned, "Is it a deal, Crazy Chick?"

One response came in a growly tone. "You bitch."

"Hey, hey, it's Miss Bitch to you."

* * *

><p>Kimiko slid her sunglasses from in her hair down in front of her golden eyes, grinning while unzipping and taking off her grey athletic jacket that revealed a slimming white tank top, and beginning to twirl it around over her head by one sleeve, singing off-key, her voice raising in pitch with every phrase, "It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes! I am gettin' so hot! I wanna take my clothes off!" By the time she hit the word 'off', her voice was a high screech that couldn't be considered singing anymore.<p>

Mara stared from across the battlefield and Ronin stared from the sidelines. Even Chaud her Blaziken stopped, turned, and watched after his victory over his opponent. One thing was certain: She should _not_ have been allowed to use Fire-types.

"Remember, she's _your_ sister, Ronin!" Mara called over to the dazed boy, causing him to blush in embarrassment and do this awkward cough-chuckle-choke-thing as his sister then began to take the lead role in the Hare Hare Yukai dance like on the ending of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Apparently, she took winning very, very well.

The boy "blessed" with being related to the overly-happy brunette sighed and shook his head. She had been so caught up in her little victory spat that she had forgotten all morals that may or may not have existed inside her. It wasn't that she was a braggart or big-headed or anything, she just sometimes got…carried away. When she caught a little bit of luck (which seemed to be very often for this brash girl, often to her brother's dismay), it was as if the Happy Train had forgotten to drop her off at Level-Headed Station. So, then, the conclusion?

She was crazier than a fruit bat.

Letting her friend bask within her glory for however long she pleased, Mara returned her fallen Gallade, congratulating him for his work, and began to walk over to Ronin. Secretly she was hoping that if she gave Kimiko time to celebrate, she'd forget that she won a free meal, but somehow, the redhead doubted that possibility highly. So, as a result of the wrapping up of that thought, she plopped herself down next to the unfortunate teenage boy on the rock of which he had been sitting. With little space between them, she suddenly sensed him tense and his whole enmity just go completely rigid as soon as she had placed herself down, making her wonder in the back of her mind the reason for such discomfort.

And in the front of Ronin's mind, he made a big mental sticky note as to not make direct eye contact. He tried to remember it, for the most part, telling himself to just keep watching Kimiko's rather uncanny antics of merriment, which he probably would've done anyway in a subconscious way had the person sitting beside him hadn't been…well, who it actually was. _Wow,_ he mentally told himself, feeling his whole body heat up, _this is real nice. If someone cracked an egg on my face, it'd cook. Great._

He suddenly felt a need to say something, since his sister's exclamations were nothing more than derogatory phrases that really degraded herself more than anything else. How she always managed to do that, he really had no idea. "So, uh the weather—the weather is nice—the weather is nice, don't you think?" And there, he fumbled along like a moron as redundant as one could possibly get.

Mara stifled a little giggle at his momentary idiocy. "Um, sure. If you think it is," she replied with an awkward smile. She noted how different he was then to the time when they were first introduced. He had given her rather a cold shoulder, only a few words mumbled as a sort of salutation, and at the time in secret, she had been kind of angry at him for such inconsiderate behavior. But over time, she figured, he just made the effort to open up a little more and be a bit more courteous. And now, he was appearing to be sort of an awkward sort of guy, not sure of where he should truly stand with himself, and seemed constantly aware and cautious about the possibility of saying the wrong thing. To her, he was just such a strange boy.

She looked over at Kimiko, who was still going strong with her little celebratory dance mix thing. "How long does she usually go on for?" she inquired, beginning to tap her fingers lightly on her thighs as if she was playing an invisible piano. She could almost see sheet music before her as she moved her fingers along and could almost hear the notes as she pressed the unseen keys. It had been so long since she sat upon the piano bench back home and played her favorite songs.

The ashen-haired teen shrugged indifferently; he had to repeat the question over and over again in his head in order for him to even take in the effect of the words. "Normally not for half this long. She usually would've regained her sanity by now." He smiled at his own words, trying to make the emerald-eyed girl light up with him.

And for the most part, he succeeded. Her eyes disappeared when she gave her pleasant beaming and a small, light laugh, and it fruited him with his desired share of satisfaction, despite the fact it was undeniably obvious that he was trying way too hard for such a small smile. He wasn't the smoothest of talkers; he normally left the sentimental sort of things to those more obsessed with it, and that was just as apparent as the manner of his efforts.

From over at her place where she was for the last long while, Kimiko grinned while looking over at her younger brother and the girl beside him. She was totally worn out after her little Hare Hare Yukai dance, but she knew chemistry when she saw it, not just chemical equations—of which should be shot with an AK-47 repeatedly. Those things were a pain in her butt to write and balance—but also the chemistry she was witnessing. Really, this whole little performance was to give her little brother a chance to make a move or at least something on their emotionally-ignorant, can't-see-anything-even-with-an-arrow-pointing-to-it-and-blinking-neon-lights acquaintance. Arceus knows what ran through that girl's red head, but whatever it was, it wasn't something that had an eye when someone was into her.

So here Kimiko was, wasting all this valuable time that shoulda been spent eating whatever she desired free of charge—_That's right, I don't forget a meal that easy._—dancing around like a stripper and making herself feel like a complete and total blockhead. Not that she _completely_ minded flaunting about, as she did have that kind of flirty nature deep down that wished for its occasional satisfaction and this sort of coy demeanor relieved her of the enamored feelings she contained, it was just that her family was of high standard in society so she had to keep upon a specific level of decorum as a sort of façade. And honestly, she hated having to possess such guise so often and wanted to be able to be a tease once in a while. After all, that could only be expected from a teenage girl trapped under laws of etiquette.

And with those thoughts in mind, she began to sing the song Miss Vanity by Rob Mills (one of her favorites at that current moment in time) accompanied with a highly suggestive dance, "Calls at three a.m., stands you up again, has ten thousand friends, it's just the way she is! Never waits in a line, never has the time, makes you lose your mind, that's just the way she is. That's just the way she is!" She laughed as she brought forth the refrain, mentally scoffing, _Ron, you better be dang thankful for this. You can't run away from this for long, I won't allow it, because if someone sees me, my reputation will never be the same, and it'll be your fault for taking too long._

Ironically, she probably didn't even have to do any of this. She could've just given them their space and they would've done just fine. Kimiko just never took a second to consider this because according to her, the most drastic measures ninety percent of the time were the most effective.

* * *

><p>Josiah Perez wiped sweat from his forehead, his charcoal-shaded bangs sticking to his significantly pale skin. The salt of his perspiration burned his deep eyes that resembled highly the color of blueberries. This distraction mattered not to him. It <em>couldn't <em>matter to him; he refused to stop.

Run. Run. Run.

He wanted so bad to shed his jacket and pull of his shoes. The distance had made his feet ache, the heat of the day made him feel enclosed and captured in a cocoon with the space between his warm skin and his outermost layer of clothing growing closer and closer. But no. He couldn't give up now. If anything, he was gaining ground. The figure before him that at one time was only a small speck peeking through the foliage all around him was now a fully-defined shape that was conscious that it was being pursued.

Closer. Closer. Closer.

The distance between them was growing smaller with each proceeding moment. He could see the form in front of him slowing slightly, growing weary from being the target in this chase. Josiah took a breath, and just as he was going to make the lunge to close the gap, a rock got underfoot, kicked loose by his target without the sixteen-year-old's notice. He recognized that pain of his right ankle twisting abnormally and his leg buckled from under him, making him release a harsh cry and hit the ground.

He bit his tongue to keep from cursing. _Not now. Oh God, not now…_ He grasped his ankle in his hands, knowing that if only he had stepped on it with his left, he would've been able to make a quick recovery, even if he had fallen. But not with his right; that was his weak ankle. It had never recovered from the incident when he was a child, and because of it, it had caused him so much difficulty. If it had been set right the first time, and not had to have been re-broken just so it could set correctly, none of this would've taken place, and he wouldn't be on the ground with pain soaring up and down his leg.

He pulled out a PokeBall and called upon the creature held inside, a Pokemon that resembled a shrew in a way, two clawed hind feet and two un-clawed forelimbs, with a milky-colored underside and a bluish back. Its eyes were closed and four red circles were on its back. It watched its Trainer with apprehension as he told it with his face showing frustration in his own personal weakness, "Cyndaquil, go back to town and find someone. Please."

The small Fire-type nodded in compliance, and scampered away. While watching his Starter disappear into green, Josiah frowned in his self-aggravation. He had been so close; he was only a step away from saying he had done it all on his own and that his self-sufficiency wasn't a lie or a mask or anything else it was claimed to be. He had full ability to do anything his desires pleaded him to do; there was no reason for him to be sheltered.

This thought entering his mind, he furrowed his brows. He released his fingers from around his leg and set them on the dirt, stiffening all of the muscles in his hands and pushing himself upward. It was like static shot up his loins, but he strove to ignore it and work past it. It took him all his ability to flip from his stomach onto his back and manage to get himself into a sitting position, his body throbbing and tired from the work it was now going through after racing through the forest at double-pace.

He pulled up his pant leg and began to undo his shoelace. He should've been used to the black and blue color that he saw when he took off his shoe, but every time, even though it was painfully familiar, it seemed so new each time. He hated seeing that color arise every time it seemed as though he was making progress with himself; it put him on a level of helplessness that was insulting to his pride. He knew he couldn't just get up and try walking, even if he put most of his body weight upon on leg; it only got him more injured, a fact that came with the price of its physical discovery.

So here he was, waiting once again for help from another once again. It was a much-despised paradox. He was relying on the very thing he felt he didn't need.


	4. Chapter 3: Bondage

**A/N: Hey all! I bet those few of you that actually read this thought I had given up!**

**...well...me too.  
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**But this is the only thing I had inspiration in, so it was either writing in this or writing in nothing. So I decided to write in this and see if I could conjure up maybe at least one review for this chappie...please?  
><strong>

**Okay, so there's a lot going on in this chapter; it introduces one of the antagonists, there's crap going on with just about all of the good guys (aside from the one dude that hasn't shown up yet) and I'm trying to fit together all of the characters' personalities at this point, so bear with the messiness.  
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**Please please please PLEASE! I really need some sort of support in this to keep on going! I know that OC-based stories aren't that popular, but I will throw in canon characters in the near chapters!  
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* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Bondage<p>

Foliage was all around them, green cushioning all other color. A canopy shaded the life below, dampening the impact of the bright, summer sun. The ground was soft and moist, rain of the night prior cooling the land. A few clouds remained above the barrier of leaves, lingering for a chance of a second shower to provide for its land down below. They moved in slow motion from the slightly chilly breeze that crawled across Earth's surface.

"_Oiii!_ Break time!"

Kimiko plopped herself down on the cool grass with a large, highly-exaggerated sigh. She began to dig in her bag, and after doing so, quickly pulled out a bag of cookies. It took less time to get it open and a handful in her mouth than for the crumbs to hit the ground. She smirked at Ronin and Mara, who were standing before her with unimpressed looks on their faces, and then held out a single cookie between her fingers, putting on a curious face. "Cookie?"

Mara instantly put on a grin and snatched up the sweet in question, the whole cookie past her lips at once. Her face filled with pleasure at the taste and she exclaimed with delight, "These are Lava Cookies from Hoenn, aren't they? I know their taste anywhere!" She was quick to drop down next to her senior and reach into the bag for more. It had been several years since she had gone to Lavaridge and scarfed down the town's unique delicacies.

Ronin smiled awkwardly at them, feeling rather out of place. He was honest with himself; he wasn't particularly fond of Lava Cookies and wasn't about to walk over there and eat something just to have something in common that could strike up some random conversation with M—Wait, what was he doing? Didn't he _just_ convince himself he _wasn't _going to eat—? No! he had to get his hand out of the bag. Out. Of. The. Bag. Now.

…

…Clearly, he wasn't very good at listening to his own demands.

He tried to take his mind off of the current subject of thought, his eyes veering off to a Spinarak in a nearby tree. He mentally named off a good moveset he'd teach one and went through its strengths and weaknesses before mentally noting not to mention its presence to Mara, as she possessed a slight phobia of certain arachnid creatures, these being one.

Watching the green spider, he turned his head slightly to the side. Something wasn't right. It was acting in an abnormal manner; it seemed kind of...skittish maybe? What was its stigma, he wondered. He then noticed, the light hitting the tree in just the precise way, it, from trunk upward, was entirely encased in a silvery, practically undetectable web, fitting the limbs and branches like a glove.

A rustle of nearby bushes sent the Spinarak skittering frantically, driving Ronin from his thoughts. His frosted blue eyes veered in the direction of the sound. He caught sight of a familiar figure running, shouted to him, which surprised the unsuspecting runner, and startled him further by pursuing and in just a few short strides tackling him down into the dirt. He didn't have to wrestle with the guy long, because what time had taught him was how to quickly pin his arms behind his back. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, reaching with one hand towards a Pokeball on his belt. His eyebrows slanted into a hard expression that he hardly ever put on.

The guy couldn't have been much more than twenty, judging by the shape of his face and lack of perpetual creases marked upon it. His dark hair was arranged in every direction without order, aside from his bangs that were matted on his forehead from sweat. His brilliant yellow eyes were pointed sharply back at the snow-haired boy, his mouth a nonchalant, flat line. Not a word came from his lips to answer his given question.

Instead of retrieving a Pokeball like his original intent, Ronin jabbed his middle and index fingers into the tender spot on the back of the man's neck, causing him in response to squeeze his eyes shut and wince in irritation. "What are you doing in Johto, Pyre?"

Pyre really wasn't the name he possessed; in truth, Ronin knew not his real identity. The origin was rooted from a run-in the two had at Mt. Pyre in Hoenn. The conspiracy put forth an enemy relationship between the two, as at that time Pyre had been a criminal, and Ronin happened to be the one to attempt his apprehension. Since their meeting in Hoenn, however, they hadn't crossed paths, but the last Ronin had heard of the thief, the man had been the instigator of a massacre in Sinnoh that had ended twenty-four lives.

Kimiko was next to arrive on the scene, Isis her Glaceon poised and ready for combat. At the sight of the wanted man, she stopped short, and Mara, who had been close behind, slammed into her back. The brunette didn't flinch at the unintended hit from behind. "Pyre? You [insert derogatory phrases here]! What is your business here?" she snapped, her expression instantly morphing to match her twin's.

Again, nothing came from the criminal's mouth, but as Kimiko had more of a temper than her younger brother, it meant all the more to her. She didn't take being ignored very well; she glowered in annoyance, and she reached for her Blaziken's Pokeball. As her fingers slid over the surface of the metal orb, she decided against it and instead took out a Zippo lighter. She held it out and began to flick the flame on and off, an innocent look crossing over her face as she pretended to examine the little flame. "Let's see what you say when your hair earns a wig of fire…"

He gave her a look of Death itself. "You. Wouldn't."

The girl returned him an evil smirk. "You're thinkin' of my twin here. Ya see, 'lil baby brother Ron wouldn't, but me…" She put the flame up mere millimeters from his nose. "…I would."

* * *

><p>Not much had happened after Sorano had run unknowingly into a fight with that chick with the red-gold hair. They sat with their arms folded across their chests and their backs to each other, demanding each other to answer questions that had little to no relevance to much of anything. The main thing that Sorano learned was the girl's name. Thea Harmac. She was an Ecruteak dweller that pretty much had nothing in common with her. The only reason they were still together was merely a battle of wits—or rather, moreover of stubbornness. It seemed that they had somehow gotten into their heads that a departure would mean that they failed a combat of tolerance.<p>

It was pretty pathetic in its entirety, but both of them were too mulish to admit it.

"So what's your team consist of?" Sorano questioned after a period of silence. Her voice came out flat, so it sounded more like a statement than an inquiry. She played with the wristband on her right arm, having pulled it off and was spinning it around her index finger.

Thea didn't speak for a while. Her wood-colored eyes were staring down at the ground with an expression that looked as though she thought that if she glared hard enough, it would spontaneously combust. "It's none of your business," she scoffed. "And stop playing with your wristband."

"You're not even facing me! How do you see what I'm doing?" The ebony-haired girl suddenly smirked before pulling the wristband off her other wrist and spinning them both around her index fingers on each hand. "How 'bout this? Is this better? Should I get up and sing and dance too?" Even though she couldn't see the cold teen, she still could feel the anger radiating off of her form. _Oh ho ho, this is so much fun_. _She's gonna wanna commit bloody murder._

The girl jumped to her feet and scowled at Sorano. "Oh my God, do you _ever_ shut up?"

The answer was simple enough. "Nope!"

* * *

><p>Pyre was going to pay for what he did. Ronin repeated the words over and over to himself as he breezed swiftly past foliage. "It was uncalled for, even for him," he scoffed, his gaze darting about in search for the criminal's figure moving about in the green. He tried to ignore the burning on his cheek and how frustrated he was that one moment of distraction let Pyre get away. The happening was burned into his mind and the more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. No matter how much the teen racked his brain, he couldn't figure out why Pyre had to be so perverse.<p>

Even at a time when he was being threatened by Kimiko, he had the nerve to slap Mara's butt and question seductively, "Hey, is this seat taken?"

It was all downhill after that. It was normally his sister's job to be the one with the temper, but he had reacted without thinking. Isis had tried to Ice Beam the thief and render him immobile, but even the Eevee Evolution was caught off-guard when Ronin had slammed his fist into Pyre's face, and even more so when he punched him back, and thus, her attack was delayed just enough for the target to get away unscathed. And so now there they were, in pursuit of him with Ronin barely keeping him in his sight.

Kimiko was right behind her twin, but Mara was back a bit farther. Despite the fact the redhead was the fastest runner of them all, the foliage was a challenge she wasn't very used to going through at a fast rate. Sure, she'd been chased by plenty an angry Pokemon, but something was not at all similar to those cases. Her mind went back to what that guy had done, each time causing her face to deepen in complexion with a combination of embarrassment and aggravation. Maybe it was the fact she was now _going after_ that guy, maybe it was the image in her head of Ronin losing the cool he had always retained and striking Pyre on the cheek with a closed fist, but something brought her the sense that running after a criminal wasn't what she should be doing.

"This isn't really how I imagined spending my time…" she mumbled, out of nowhere falling and calling out several curse words when she tripped on a root underfoot. She sat up and checked herself for any sustained injuries. Her eyes went up from scanning herself only to meet the face of a small Pokemon staring at her. "A Cyndaquil?" Her mind went about in its search for information regarding the little Fire-type, trying to remember if this particular forest was home to that particular Starter.

Before she could make the deduction, it had taken her index finger in its little paw and tugged. The redhead knew what this was and so went up to her feet. "Lead the way, Cyndaquil." And followed the Pokemon off, away from the others in her party. It wasn't as though she hadn't ever traveled on her own before, but to find her suddenly missing was another thing entirely. She tried to mentally justify it and reasoned that at the rate she had been going, she wouldn't have been much use to them anyway. If a battle would've ensued, by the time she arrived on the scene, it probably would've been over.

_Besides,_ she added, her green eyes locking onto the little shrew that was scampering just a few feet in front of her, _I think I'm needed elsewhere._

She couldn't determine how far they traveled; the entire area around her looked all the same. For as far as she could see, she only took in greenness. Looking up, the breaks in the leaves that revealed the sky above were growing rarer with each step. She was nearing the heart of the forest where the trees grew thick, she knew. This is where most of the Pokemon native to the area dwelled, primarily for the reason not many Trainers traveled in this deep for the risk of going into the territory of a defensive clan of high-levelers.

Her feet halted her before she knew they had done so. She found herself staring down at a boy probably a few years younger than her. His deep blue eyes were focused on his ankle which was swollen a grisly color, his dark hair matted down with sweat, and his pale face tinged with red. At the sound of her figure pushing past bushes, his head turned and locked onto her face. It was marred with a frustration that was quickly overcome with perplexity.

"Your Cyndaquil led me here," was all she could say. And before he could make a response, she crouched down beside him and began digging in her bag. She pulled out medical tape and a jar of ointment. "Looks like you jarred it really hard. Nothing like IcyHot to relieve pain. I use it all the time with athletics." She gave him a smile, talking as if she was speaking to a child, as she began to apply the ointment using her middle and index fingers. At her touch, he flinched and she felt his whole body go rigid. "Sorry, sorry! I'll try to be more careful. You don't mind me doing this, do you?"

His mouth was slightly ajar before he decided to speak. "No, it's fine." He had a quiet, slightly gruff voice, one that reminded Mara of the sound of someone lightly writing on a board with chalk. "I must've dropped my medical kit somewhere when I was running…" He put his hand on his forehead in a facepalm-like manner, but without the self-abuse and more like he had a headache or something coming on. "Ugh, this _would_ happen…"

To his surprise, the redhead let out a slight chuckle, causing him to return his gaze to her with a substantial amount of confusion written in his face. "Your accent." She paused when she began to wrap the boy's foot from just above the ankle down, but he didn't say anything in response. "You're from Kanto, aren't you?"

His eyes widened, caught off guard that she had noticed the slight difference between a Johto accent and a Kanto accent. "Y-yeah," he stuttered, suddenly insecure that she seemed to know things about him, even if they were things purely based off observation. "I'm from Saffron."

She appeared pleased that he didn't mind making conversation with her, even if it was casual things. This was evident by her satisfied smirk. "Yeah, you look like a city boy," she noted, taking a good look at his appearance a second time. "I'm from Sandgem Town in Sinnoh. The outskirts of town. I'm Mara Tsujyou, by the way."

When she held out his hand to try to help him up to his feet and give him support, he returned a small smile that the girl barely noticed and introduced himself, not forgetting the manners that were pounded into his head from his life in his home city. "Josiah Perez. Nice to meet you." He then decided to add the thought that came to mind, "And I'll be honest; you look like a country girl."

* * *

><p>Pain coursed through every nerve within Target Cobalt's battered body. He had to force himself to flee from his home, the one place he could call his own, and now he had never felt so alone. His sister had always been with him, and he never thought he'd have to go on without her. He had been pursued, away from his secret dwelling, to the mainland where he had managed to escape his follower. It was when he had paused to rest within the safety of foliage that he had began to feel the pain that plagued him.<p>

He didn't forget his promise to his sister. _I will come for you…_

The way he would fulfill it, he wasn't certain. Her location was usually something he could sense, but she was too far away for him to feel her being. There was no way for him to determine what the humans have done to her; the image of her body being enveloped in agony was all he saw and the sound of her scream echoed within his ears far louder than the sounds of the world around him. The night before haunted him like a bad dream, but every time he looked upon all of the gashes and bruises that he sustained, he knew it wasn't.

He loathed the human that did this to him, to his sister. The man's stormy, gray eyes were branded in his mind, burning like fire from the depths of hell. There needed to be some way for him to receive his due punishment for his actions. How, the dragon didn't know, but what he did know, was he wasn't going to stand by and let this human keep his sister captive. Measures had to be taken, and he wasn't about to go down without putting up a hell of a fight.

The distinct sound of rustling bushes snapped him immediately out of his thoughts, and his crimson-hued orbs stared into the distance just as a man met him face-to-face. The blue Pokemon didn't like the instantaneous smirk that appeared on the guy's face or the way his bright yellow eyes gazed at him through his dark hair like he was a prize. The tone that came from his lips gave more reason for wariness, "Well, hello there, _Latios_."

"Get away from that Pokemon, Pyre!" From behind the man, a seemingly albino teenager appeared, a PokeBall tight in his grasp. When the dark-haired guy turned to face him, but said nothing, he repeated himself, his voice harder. "I _said_, get away from that Latios."

Pyre merely changed his smirk to one that revealed his confidence more openly than moments before. "There's not much you can do, Ronin. You haven't been able to do anything before, so why start winning now?" He withdrew a PokeBall and clicked the center button to increase its size, but as soon as he did so, an Ice Beam shot past Ronin and froze it from his wrist upward to consume his hand.

Kimiko emerged, a grin of her own designed with the curves of her face. "Nice job, Isis." Her eyes didn't move to look at her Ice-type just at her feet when she congratulated her. Her gaze was poised on the Eon Pokemon, trying to read its face beyond that mask of blankness it tried to hold onto. "Latios…" Her face, too, went solemn after a moment of silence between them. Her mind focused on the Legendary, trying to make bondage with it with just her psyche.

She suddenly turned her head towards Pyre, but her eyes remained still. "You…don't like him…do you?" Her voice came out unusually quiet until her eyes unexpectedly shot towards the criminal when her voice grew cold. "Leave him alone." Her fingertips traced along the top of her Glaceon's head. "Isis, use Hail!"

The ice Eevee looked to the sky and closed her eyes, and just as she did so, clouds gathered and began to pelt the land below with pellets of ice. It came down in a hard shower that was too thick for normality that prevented seeing an arm's length away. The humans had to throw their arms up to protect themselves from being bombarded, but not for long, as the attack lasted only mere moments, just enough for Latios to disappear without a trace of his existence.

Pyre gave Kimiko a glare that threatened harm, but she beamed in a cheesy manner and laughed, "Come at me, bro."


	5. Chapter 4: One Motive

**.Author's Note. I'm ALIIIIIVE~! *receives smack to the head* Yes yes I know that this fic has been on hiatus for...uh...well, let's just say a very long time, but fear not because I renewed my motivation (aka opened up the doc and had to force myself to write) and spat out an entire chapter within the course of...uh...six hours or so? Something like that, I kept getting distracted with my HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokespe manga, which by the way is one of the best mangas in existence. ...well, it would be if I HAD THE OTHER HALF OF THE ARC! T~T *mopes in corner because she's missing volume 42***

**But anyway, uncovering this fanfic from the dust of the earth was probably the most draining thing I've ever done. It's 2am on Easter morning right now, and I am very exhausted, so I might as well get what I need to say said, most of which I have no idea what they were anymore.**

**Note: When the page breaks occur and the character perspective changes to another character at a different location, usually the two events are occurring simultaneously. That's why there's so many breaks in one chapter, to cover the events of all the characters that occur at a single epoch (hehehe, I love that word.) even if they're spread out. The breaks will be less frequent as the story progresses and the characters come together (probably), but for now, I'm just as annoyed with the spread-out cast as you are. Total pain in the butt.**

**And now that I'm done with whatever the hell I just did in this author's note (I seriously don't remember what I just wrote two paragraphs ago, I'm that tired), I hope you enjoy this very highly delayed chapter of When It Rains! R&R please, and happy Easter (may little bunnies in bowties leave you plenty of colorful eggs and sugary sweets in a basket filled with fake grass!)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: One Motive<p>

"I'm gonna kick your ass so hard that your entire team is gonna ache!"

Kimiko clenched her fists, her golden-hued eyes flaring with a blended combination of irritation and the excitement of the heat of battle. She had her distinct confidence of victory, but that was a common thing for the brunette to possess, no matter the difficulty of the battle, and she couldn't help but become overly-enthusiastic to be the one ripping up the forest with two of her best fighters on her current roster, Isis and Chaud. With the duo of her Ice- and Fire-types, she couldn't have felt higher if she used painkillers to drug her up.

Pyre frowned, his yellow eyes like those of a snake. To counter that stupid girl's Blaziken and Glaceon, he called out Feraligatr and Medicham to battle, and it only took a split-second for the proximity within the forest to become nothing short of a battlefield. It wasn't of his concern what happened to this forest; whether it burned to the ground or was completely leveled, he _was_ going to show this chick that no one interrupts him when he was going to make a capture, especially a Legendary Pokemon such as the Latios she let get away.

This double battle was more like two one-on-one battles that he had to keep track of. Glaceon and Feraligatr were going at it with barrages of Water- and Ice-typed moves, neither one backing down in the least as one attack collided with the other. Pyre's alligator Pokemon had sheer power behind his attacks, but Kimiko's Eevee evolution possessed agile maneuverability. As for her Blaziken and his Medicham, it was an all-out brawl that was all but a competition to show off their skills of martial arts. And with such cataclysmic effects of battle, he himself had to occasionally watch out for straying attacks that shot his way. It was a crude, but highly captivating event.

"Kim, if you don't stop soon, you'll destroy the entire forest," Ronin warned the girl who was currently entranced in the very heat of battle, her jaw set tight and face rigid unlike was normal for her unless she was in a situation as intense as this one. He watched her gaze shoot about, scanning every movement that her duo in combat made, and knew that her mind must've been streaming, streaming far too fast for her to even realize he had spoken. "Kimi—"

"Don't worry," she cut in suddenly, peering a single eye back at him and revealing a devious grin. "I know what I'm doin' here, bro. Just leave it to me." She snatched a Pokeball from her belt and held it tight into her hand, trying to hide it from Pyre's sight. She then turned her face towards her Blaziken, calling out to him sharply, "Chaud, do it now!"

The Fire-type let out a cry in response to the command and preformed a fluid front-flip, angling a long, flame-encased leg down upon the unsuspecting Medicham with the force of a guillotine dropping down. Stunned from the sheer force of the blow, he proceeded to slide about and maneuver on merely his clawed hands, a move much resembling break dancing—the very resemblance intentional due to Kimiko's sheer obsessiveness—and arced the same leg around horizontally, now striking his opponent on the side and sending the Pokemon reeling back to the other two combatants. Chaud jumped up and shot forward like a rocket, a fist curled and veiled in fire.

"Stupid girl…" Pyre growled, annoyed with how the battle was progressing. "Feraligatr, Hydro Pump at that overgrown chicken!"

Kimiko made a quick face. _Overgrown chicken?! For making fun of Chaud, he's a dead man!_ "Isis, use Dig! Chaud, Protect!"

As Feraligatr opened its mouth and released a high-powered blast of water, Isis burrowed down into the ground and Chaud braced himself, beginning to glow a light, serene color, as the torrent of water hit him full-force. He was knocked back despite the efforts to remain planted, and cringed as he struggled to hold the Protect in effect. He cried out as the attack faded, allowing the Hydro Pump to consume him and knock him back into a tree with a hard slam.

Kimiko whipped her head back in alarm at her fallen Pokemon; she had clearly underestimated the Feraligatr's level and strength, and that realization alone irritated her to no end. "Chaud!" Turning her head back to the battle ahead, she gritted her teeth. "Isis, Shadow Ball!" She watched her Eevee evolution burst from the ground and shoot orbs of dark energy in every direction. As dust flared up and clouded the battlefield, she smiled slightly and opened the Pokeball that rested in her grasp. Her voice was a slight whisper as she told the Pokemon that was released, "Go, 'lil Jolt. You know what to do."

When the dust cleared, it was revealed that Medicham hadn't withstood the barrage of attacks and was down for the count. Feraligatr and Isis were already locked into combat, firing attacks without commands being given. Rather, while there were no commands being given, their Trainers were certainly not silent. In fact, the whole situation just got more chaotic while they yelled at each other, hurling insults, profane words, and crude names that are best not repeated.

About now was the time when Ronin wondered if Kimiko was lying when she said that she knew what she was doing.

"Why don't you just shut up before I shove your foot into your mouth!?" she snapped, completely unaffected when she was basically clipped by an Ice Shard attack. The only factor that showed she'd even _noticed_ was how she dusted some frost off her shoulder, but that was rather unnecessary because she was growing so hot with rage that it probably would've melted if given a few more moments. "And believe me, it'll be quite the learning experience!"

But then she saw just what she was waiting for and had to struggle to keep back a little, devilish smirk off her face. _And three…two…one—_

"HOLY CRAP! WHAT THE HELL IS IN MY SHIRT?!"

What was witnessed at that particular moment—and what caused both Pokemon to quit fighting to watch—was Pyre running around like a crazy maniac, grasping his shirt and trying to get that little bulge that could be seen crawling around under it out. Kimiko nearly died laughing, primarily as the criminal began to flail about and was basically having a heart attack. Because only that devious girl knew that it was but her harmless, little Joltik scrambling about in his shirt.

* * *

><p>"You mentioned you did athletics. What sort?"<p>

Mara showed off a slight smile at the question, ignoring how tired she was growing from being basically Josiah's crutch for the past quarter mile. "Well, at first it was just your regular sports, but now that I've come to Johto, I've been training hard for the Pokeathlon. Those kinds of competitions are what I live for." She smirked while her bag bumped clumsily against her back with dulling repetition, making her think of the warm-up sweats inside that were issued specially for those Trainers competing in the new, yet highly-esteemed competition for athletic Pokemon. "How about you? Got a specialty or anything?"

His blue eyes shifted about restlessly, as he took a moment to respond, chewing his lip. Mara watched him with slight suspicion and was about to tell him he didn't have to answer if he really didn't want to, but then he spoke up, "Uh, no, not…really…"

The red-haired girl's mouth curved to form a small o, wondering why it took him so long to figure out a response only to give out an answer that basically said he didn't know. But watching his Cyndaquil as it scampered along with them, she made her expression return to a light smile; she instantly realized by his manner that he must've been a pretty new Trainer, despite what his age said. "You'll find your thing eventually. It must've taken me months to find out the path I wanted to take." Since they were getting basically nowhere, the forest still showing no signs of thinning out, she figured it wouldn't hurt to share and relish upon her experiences. "It took a single loss at the Sinnoh Pokemon League during the prelims to make me realize your basic badge-collecting wasn't my forte. I thought about being a researcher, since a good number of my family took up that route, but it was pretty simple to find out I'm too dumb for that…"

She laughed awkwardly for a moment before letting out a sigh and shaking her head, her bangs flicking outward and settling in the gap between her green eyes. "Then I considered being a Gym Leader, since my cousin is the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, but there was all of that—" She stopped abruptly as she noticed him giving her a strange look and began to laugh. "Well, that's a look I get a lot. People say the resemblance is uncanny..." And with that, she let out a rather monotonous yawn. "Oh well… Oh sorry, I'm not talking too much, am I? I tend to babble at times."

As a response, the ebony-haired teen merely shrugged indifferently. His mind was currently in other places than their current location—wherever that location actually was—and drifting farther and farther with each passing moment. It wasn't as though he didn't appreciate the girl's presence and helpfulness, but that voice within him that constantly screamed for independence, for self-sufficiency, just plain and simple _hated charity_. There was something about this entire situation that didn't sit right in the bottom of his stomach, and as much as he didn't like admitting it, he was pretty sure he knew what it was.

His thoughts were cast back to a place nowhere near his current location, to a different region, to a city. His home, Saffron City. It had been weeks, maybe a couple months even, since he'd last spoken to his parents, that last night before he left home. He didn't even say goodbye to them, or even make a single gesture that he was leaving for that matter, but before the sun had risen that following morning, he had set out for Johto with a resolve to be undeterred.

_After all_, he reasoned, watching his Cyndaquil as it scuttled before his feet and sniffed at random bushes for the sweet scent of berries, _no one ever accomplished anything by doing nothing._

"I'm serious; if I'm annoying you, just say so, and I'll make like a Shellder and clam up." Mara's horrible excuse for a pun pulled him from his reverie as quickly as he had entered it. The girl watched him with attuned interest, studying his face that was a few shades paler than hers, before turning her face away again and to the direction they were headed, going into a little world of her own.

For a short while they walked in complete silence, only the sounds of nature around them keeping normality close. The weird quietness that suddenly occurred between them made Josiah's small Fire-type pause to look up at them, clearly baffled as to what had changed that had made them stop speaking entirely. It was an observant little creature, and it knew just when there was something not being said, whatever it was. It didn't have to look and see the facial expressions the two Trainers wore to know that much.

Without warning, a gust of wind whirred past, ripping leaves from the trees and gusting them about. Mara threw up an arm to block the wind from her face, but it didn't help her to see just what it was that shot past like a rocket. "What the—?!" She craned her head about, trying to get a glimpse, but falling a bit short on the manner. "Did you see that?!"

Josiah opened his mouth only slightly to answer, but not without first meeting a revelation, _That must've been what he was after…_ "No… I completely missed it," he admitted after a small pause, but didn't lament on the fact long. He averted his eyes and shifted his gaze over to the direction where the unknown creature had gone. His deep irises were solid with one, lone sentiment that took over his entire enmity. "But we should go that way."

Mara beamed at his last words, pleased that he had made such a suggestion despite his current state. "You read my mind!"

* * *

><p>"Roseate, Roseate… Your brother, where art thou, I wonder?"<p>

Otoko paced about as he had been for the past while, musing aloud to the Pokemon held within a vat before him, fully conscious she couldn't hear him. It amused him, regardless of this fact; with Target Roseate in his possession, it opened up many more doors than were available to him previous. And he could only imagine what sort of things he could do just as soon as Target Cobalt was his as well, however as he knew full well, "That damned Latios managed to evade me…"

He ran his fingers through his deep green hair, his gray eyes staring up at Roseate's limp, unconscious form floating in a purplish fluid. "And he will learn soon enough that it was only by sheer luck that he has known freedom for this long…" A wry smirk played onto his mouth, and he reached out to press his hand to the glass that separated him and the Legendary Dragon. "Dear Cobalt, this is a lesson that should be taught by your dear sister Latias. After all, you do owe her the favor."

That detail decided, he slid his hand back to his side as if in slow motion and called for one of his subordinates. "What is the current status of Project X-Shinka? I do hope that it is progressing on schedule." A peculiar glint flashed in the man's shady eyes, and his tone twisted about. "One wouldn't want the project to fall behind, as the consequences may outweigh the advantages."

Hiding the wavering that was triggered by that all-too unfamiliar tone, the man called conjured up an answer with as little hesitation as possible, "Sir, the project is advancing unpredictably. The current modifications that the CE-Ring is undergoing are highly technical and seemingly beyond our capabilities, however I do believe the changes are responding much like our calculations… Although, I do believe a few of the algorithms it requires are…far-fetched."

The look the lesser man received from his leader was enough to make raging Tauros turn tail and flee. But it was probably wise for the man to stay, since if he left then, he'd probably be in a bigger hole than when he had first opened his mouth, so with shaky words, he tried to redeem himself in his leader's eyes, "B-but! We just received word from a couple of our field agents, and they both report that they are in pursuit of their objective targets." He presented two manila file folders that contained the mentioned information, hoping that would satisfy Otoko enough that he'd be dismissed so he could finally exhale for the first time since he'd been summoned.

Otoko took the files and opened the first to briefly glance at what it contained. Meeting his eyes was a complete bio of one of his many field agents, containing more information than the agent himself knew was on record. Along with this bio was that of the agent's target and all of the corresponding data. It bored the green-haired man to learn of his subordinates, as it was of little meaning to him; all that was important was that these people completed their missions and delivered him closer to his goal. Anything else was meaningless and a waste of his time, therefore, he wouldn't spend any effort in it. It didn't matter who these grunts were as long as they got into the trenches and did their duty; it didn't matter if they knew who they were working for, nor if he knew who they were, either.

He dismissed the lower-rank man and threw the files to the floor, causing all of the papers to spill out across the tile. He turned back to the Dragon-type encased in the vat, crossing his arms and showing it a smile. He scanned the Pokemon's figure; her body was outstretched and her head titled upwards like she was trying to balance something invisible on the tip of her nose. Her eyes were sealed shut and mouth ajar only slightly, as if she had been frozen in time while she was in the middle of whispering something. Wires and tubes ran to various places in her battered form, retrieving data that was displayed on a nearby monitor that recorded her untended-to state.

The man's long shadow cast over her form, but only his true self revealed the malevolence that was written within him inside and out. "Worry not, Roseate. You will be reunited with your brother soon enough…"


	6. Chapter 5: Direction

**.Author's Note. Owwie, my brain hurts. This chapter took way too much thought for what it was worth, but nonetheless, I have choked it out. I've figured out some more details for my plot here, so I've inserted a few plotty things in here and there. Seriously, half of this crap I just figured out last night and decided to work with it. **

**I know I'm not very dedicated to this fanfic, but believe it or not, it's on my mind quite often now. It's a big puzzle for me to figure out, since I have to work to get it all pieced together, and I do like trying to figure out puzzles. Like what characters to add. That's a big one. I've finally figured out how to connect characters from canon and how to involve some of the details from the anime. So that pleases me to no end!**

**Anyway, as you've probably seen, and you will see for good reason, there are discrepancies with Sorano's personality. What I mean is she doesn't seem to have a set personality and she changes sporadically. That's done purposefully and don't worry, I have a direction I'm going with that. :3**

**Okie, sooo to help me out with this story, I'll be accepting ideas! Anything suggested will go under immense consideration and credit will be given when and where due! Thanks in advance!**

**O-KAY~ I think this is all for my author's note! I hope you enjoy this newest chapter of When It Rains! **

**R&R please, poppets~! (please please please please...)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Five: Direction<p>

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

An unfamiliar alarm going off caught Sorano's attention, ripping her from her current task of annoying the crap out of Thea to watching the serious girl take out a strange device that was the length of her hand and had a display screen which was lit up with several little blips. The ebony-haired Trainer craned her neck over the other Trainer's shoulder to try to get a better glimpse, but this was proven to be all in vain when the screen had a glare from the sun that kept her from interpreting what little she could actually see.

"C'mon, Crazy Chick, lemme seeee!" she whined, intentionally being irksome by grabbing onto Thea's arm and shaking it about, as if her tone didn't _already _get her attention. But all she got was an absentminded, I'm-busy-and-need-my-personal-space-you-brat smack to the forehead, to which she shrunk back and inflated her cheeks in her own annoyance.

Turning not one eye in the younger girl's direction, Thea scoffed, "Call me Crazy Chick again, and I'll have my Tyranitar blow you up." Her threat came out with all seriousness that was intended, no matter how distracted she appeared with whatever was showing up on the small screen. From her pocket, she pulled out a small compass, and her gaze went back and forth between the objects occupying her hands, as if to double-check something.

Totally glossing over the threat, only one thing in the russet-eyed girl's words registered in Sorano's brain. "A Tyranitar?! I've always wanted to see one of them! I've seen them on TV during the Johto League, but I've never seen one up close and personal! I've been looking for a Larvitar, but since I'm a new Trainer, they're not exactly easy for me to fi—"

A single death stare shut her up in an instant.

Sorano's face deflated of enthusiasm. "You're no fun." She crossed her arms and struck a defiant pose (or at least _she_ thought it was pretty dang defiant with how she turned her face aside and all). "I'm gonna go and find someone more fun than you. Don't get lonely without me—don't _miss_ me!"

Putting the compass back, the older girl looked off into the distance, basically ignoring Sorano's presence entirely, which could only put the dark-haired Trainer out. Without a word (a response, goodbye, or otherwise), Thea took off running into the forest, disappearing quickly into the green, causing one lone Sorano to boil inside and shout with all hopes her voice would be heard, "No! _You_ can't leave _me_! _I'm_ leaving _you_! Get back here so I can ditch you!"

A sigh was now the only company the girl possessed as she stared at the place where her acquaintance had disappeared, loneliness beginning to sink in almost immediately. _That's what I get, I guess…_ She made a face and began into the forest, no concern for direction or destination. Olivine City wasn't far away, she knew, but she lacked all motivation to battle for a badge. _Not after blowing a shot like that. I really thought I was getting somewhere too…_ She pushed past the foliage in her way, but allowed the branches to smack her as they pleased.

"I have no idea what forest this is even…" she murmured, trying to scout out a blazed path for easier travel. She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, trying to push against branches that didn't feel like moving before giving up and going around. "This is definitely not fun."

She wandered for a good while, finally after what felt like forever finding a well-trodden path, before a rest was deemed doable, and so she climbed up onto a lower branch of a tree hanging over the path. Propping her bag against the trunk, she let her feet dangle from where she sat. _It's after lunch, I suppose…_ she figured, taking out a simple snack to nibble on. But she was hardly in the mood to eat; rather, an untraceable sourness was bubbling up and she was highly distracted in trying to shove it away.

"This tree here is a nice tree," she mused plainly, trying to lighten her own mood and coping with unresolved issues that she didn't wish to admit. "I think I'll call him Mr. Tree. You see, Mr. Tree doesn't ditch his friends like some _other people_…"

Then without warning, something unrecognizable shot down the path under her, the great speed of its travel shaking the entire tree and causing some cracks to resonate from the branch. Unfortunately for Sorano, she was far too enthralled by the unknown creature to hear the cracking and merely teetered to keep her balance. "Holy crap, what was that?!" She craned her neck back, but by that time, it was long gone, and the only evidence of its existence was the rustling of leaves.

_That's amazing. You'd think that any Pokemon trying to fly in a dense forest like this would have a lot of difficulty, but the way it shot by was like it didn't have to maneuver at all…_ She decided then to pull out her PokeDex, wishing to search the database for any sort of Pokemon that could possibly even _think_ of flying that fast. But after only a few short minutes (and a bit more undetected cracking of the branch), she decided the number of possibilities just wasn't worth searching through.

"I think it went this way!"

Sorano slid slightly further down the branch (anti-smart move) and leaned forward, seeing a redheaded girl…carrying a guy on her back? _What?_

And without further ado, of course the _exact moment_ they ran under that particular branch, it just so happened to break, and so in a single instant, they found themselves on the ground with Sorano moaning on top of them, rubbing her backside. "Oww, Mr. Tree, how could you?" she murmured, pouting at the branch that had failed to hold her weight as she stood up and helped the two victims up with a bright red face. As soon as they were both standing, she began awkwardly bowing like nuts. "I'm sorry! This was my fault! I totally didn't know that branch was going to break!"

The red-haired merely laughed awkwardly, shaking her head at the clearly younger girl's antics. "It's no problem." But then she frowned, peering over Sorano's shoulder and appearing a bit discouraged. "Although I think we missed our chance, Josiah. It's long gone by now." She looked back at the boy who seemed a good few years younger (judging by the fact she was an inch or two taller and he hadn't developed the toned muscles of traveling—actually he was actually sort of scrawny now that Sorano thought about it, albeit it didn't do him any detraction in the appearance category) and shrugged before turning back to Sorano. "Anyway, I'm Mara Tsujyou."

"And I'm Josiah Perez." The dark-haired boy next to her gave a small smile, causing Sorano to give a light one back.

Sorano scrutinized the two for a moment, taking in their appearances before asking, "Uh, random question. Did I see wrong or were you—" She gestured to Mara, causing the girl to raise her eyebrows. "—carrying _him_?"

At this, Mara didn't hesitate to let out a laugh. "That was a bit…unconventional, wasn't it?" She gave this half-hearted grin as her green eyes flickered away. "See, Josiah's ankle is all swelled up and inflamed, so I told him he should stay off it, and since it's too dense here to get a Flying-type, this was basically the only option, given that we were in such a hurry." She broke off into a bit more laughter, rubbing her cheek with her index finger. "But I guess I shoulda probably…asked first. But I was just so excited after seeing that Pokemon rush past!"

Sorano smiled. These Trainers didn't seem to mind her presence; maybe they'd be more accepting than Thea was. But then again, most others acted the same way as Thea, so she really shouldn't be surprised if the outcome was the same. At that invading thought, she tried to keep herself optimistic. After all, hoping for the best was the only thing keeping her afloat. Getting past the fact that Josiah didn't seem fazed about the entire ordeal—in fact, he didn't even seem to notice that last exchange between her and Mara that regarded him—she suddenly decided to add, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Sorano Kato."

A last minute decision caused her to pull out what was left of her snack and present it to her new acquaintances. "Here, to make up for…uh, falling on you, how about some honey cookies? I made them myself before I left from my home in Cianwood, but they're still pretty fresh. They're made with sweetened Combee honey from Sinnoh."

Instantly her words made Mara's face brighten up like a child on Christmas morning. Her green eyes shined as they gazed down to the small baggie of familiar cookies. "Oh wow, I never thought I'd see a local delicacy being made in Johto! They look just like the cookies I ate back home when I was a kid…!" For a second, Sorano thought the redheaded girl was going to cry she was so overjoyed. As the older girl gingerly took one from the bag, slowly and precisely as if it was a science, she came closer and closer to that near-tears look. "And smell that honey! It's as if we're actually in Floaroma Town…"

Mara's cloud nine left the two younger Trainers in a unanimous stupor. If this was how she was before even taking a bite, it would be quite the experience to watch her reaction once she sunk her teeth into that apparently highly-regarded cookie.

* * *

><p>"Whew! We've been running for a while! I think we need a break now, Ron!"<p>

Kimiko extended her arm and latched her fingers around her brother's wrist, pulling him to a full stop the minute they broke through the thick green of the forest and emerged atop a cliff overlooking the bustling port-city of Olivine. Close to the harbor itself, Kimiko noticed, were many stands set up and multi-colored banners strung from light posts. And even from the distance that separated them from the city, the rhythmic beat of music still reached up the cliffside to their ears.

Olivine was always an active city, as many cities on the water were. It was home to Johto's largest ships and the hub off all trade with all the surrounding regions. It was where anyone would go if they desired to be a sailor and travel the entire world. Plus, the city also received its share of Trainers; those coming and going to and from Johto to adjacent regions often took the vessels that ferried them wherever their journeys took them because it was far cheaper than by plane. And there was also Jasmine, a Steel-type Gym Leader, to give challengers a good fight with her formidable Steelix.

In short, Olivine always possessed its share of activity. But today the city seemed even more lively than usual, everyone all gathered at the wharf. Kimiko could only imagine what sort of things the townspeople were doing down there to celebrate; dancing and games and food and maybe even a Pokemon battle or two or possibly even a tournament. She was heavily hoping for the games and food above all else. Okay, maybe just the food.

"Ron, check it out! Olivine is holding a festival! We should go and _make sure everyone's having a good time_!" Aka, Ronin knew all-too well, join the festivities and party so hard the next morning would be a living hell. With narrowed eyes, he watched as she whipped out her PokeGear and began to search through her contacts. "I'll just contact Mara and tell us to meet us there at her earliest convenience!"

Ronin was quick to object, just as his twin knew he would. "But shouldn't we—?"

Cutting him off, Kimiko waved him off. "Don't worry, Ron. Mara's a big girl; she doesn't need _us_ to hold her hand and lead her outta one measly forest! Don't forget who her mentor is!" At this, she took the opportunity to thump her chest with a curled fist and click call on her PokeGear. "I never skimp on lessons when teaching my juniors!"

* * *

><p>If there was any lesson that Kimiko skimped on, Mara knew it was this one. Actually, Mara could think of multiple lessons that her senior taught that weren't exactly up to par, but as of now, the brunette's poor teaching ability was the last thing on her mind. The thing that was occupying her thoughts was the exact thing that she didn't hesitate to voice.<p>

"GIANT BUG! KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!"

It should be stated here and now that usually Mara was the type to keep her cool when confronted with any number of opposing wild Pokemon and could put up a pretty good composed front when she needed to, but when it came to one little Weedle suddenly turning, calling over hordes of Beedrill, and them all swarming all around her, Josiah, and Sorano, there was no way that level-headedness would be part of her personality description. Along with her appearance, this was the primary thing that she had in common with her cousin—she didn't want to think about the story behind it; now _definitely _wasn't a good time for that—and it wasn't something that she could exactly handle.

"It must've been the honey from the cookies that attracted them…" She heard Josiah murmur, which really didn't help the situation much because he was flatly blaming the sweets of her childhood. But she figured that she could let his remark slide with what _she_ was doing, since at this current moment she was basically using him as a human shield.

Sorano, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled with all of this. Being the first time exposed to this many Beedrill at one time, especially this close up and when they were this active, one could simply say ignorance was bliss. "Whoa, look at them all! The biggest one is usually the leader, right?" Her head was shooting every direction, looking for the said leader with an exceedingly-excited grin occupying a vast majority of the muscles on her face.

"We do _NOT_ want to meet the leader, Sorano!" Mara put up the hood of her sweatshirt—as if that would do anything to better her position—and tried to shrink within herself. "Just don't do anything to agitate them!" The constant humming of their wings was dizzying and she only motionlessly stared as the stinger-wielding insects circled in their search for the honey that they had caught whiff of.

The ringing of Mara's PokeGear interrupted the scene and the sound of it caused the girl to frantically pull it out, feeling a renewed sense of revelation as she saw Kimiko's icon blinking on the screen. She clicked the button to answer and quickly began, "Kimiko, we have a prob—!"

Not even seeming to hear her, Kimiko's cheerful voice interrupted her, obviously in a world all her own, "Hey, Mara, just checking in to say Ron and I are gonna be in Olivine partying it up! Meet us there as soon as possible, 'kay? Byeee~!"

_Click._

"Kimiko…" Her voice an irritated grumble, Mara barely kept herself from crumbling onto her knees and into the fetal position. But with her senior on her mind—being annoyed with her still was considered being on her mind—suddenly deciding to make like the brown-haired girl and have a mid-crisis revelation. She peered down the back of her human shield and scanned the Pokeballs hooked to his belt. Spotting the one with a little flame emblazoned on the red top, she snatched it up, and called out the creature inside. "Please know Smokescreen, please know Smokescreen, please know Smokescreen…"

The young Cyndaquil burst out in a flash of red light, just about as confused as its Trainer at this point (who had this really deranged look on his face at current), and instantly seeing the horde of Beedrill, burrowed into the ground. Not a Dig, but just…dug about a foot down, plopped into the hole, and pretended it didn't exist.

Mara deadpanned, Josiah groaned, and Sorano was too busy to notice.

Yup, they were officially screwed.

* * *

><p>"Sir, my targets have left the area. What do you suggest?"<p>

Aku Otoko's expression grew from grim to downright furious. This was only more bad news to add onto what had already been occurring. Not only was Project X-Shinka, the focus of his every effort, at a standstill—for the fault of his underlings, he surmised; they were far from reliable—and now this call had arrived from one of his field agents in the midst of it all.

The dark-haired man leaned back in his chair, but said nothing; no, he was a composed professional. Setbacks were only to be expected from half-rate subordinates; he just had to roll with the punches, as they say. Things would start progressing after they had surmounted their impasse, and they'd quickly be on their way again. It was only a matter of time.

"…Sir?"

He ignored his agent, the earpiece lingering in its place not forgotten, and sat back up to his desk. The office surrounding him was dimly lit, the only source of light from a desk lamp kept always aglow over his workspace and more importantly, the only touch of home that remained—a cracked yet ever-elegant picture frame. The picture pressed inside was untouched, undisturbed by the outside world. Not the person in the photograph though; no, she's gone now…

Pulling up the files that had occupied many long hours of intent study over the last number of years, his eyes scanned through line after line. He wasn't even going to think about how long it took to compile all of this data, because as of right now, it was proving utterly useless. The thought made his blood boil with frustration, thus he was forced to turn his attention away from the screen of his laptop and over to that manila folder that had remained as a source of irritation all its own. His fingers traced over to it and pulled the paper-clipped pages out.

Out of everything, this was the most irksome of every mystery. What he held in his hands was the research files of the renowned Dr. Yung, a scientist that had once resided in Kanto and disappeared almost two years ago after his laboratory caught fire due to what had been described as "an experiment gone horribly wrong". Reports (or moreover, _rumors_) had suggested that involved with the case were five minors and the world-famous Professor Samuel Oak. Most were skeptical, as there was no concrete evidence that they were even in the vicinity at the time.

But Mr. Otoko knew better than to be skeptical.

After all, he had helped fund this research that led to his downfall.

However, in all honesty, he held very little faith and interest in his associate's so-called "Mirage Pokemon" project. The thing he _did_ hold interest in, on the other hand, was the data and research that had went into the project. By the sounds of it all, he had access to an unsurmountable amount of information. And that's where the mysteries had made their roots.

Where did he get all of that data?

And more importantly, _where did it all go?_

He fingered through the pages, leafing through without any second thoughts, until he came to the last page. It was a webpage, printed in black and white, with an article and a picture stapled to it. The picture wasn't from the web, nor any media source, the green-haired man knew, as he lifted the photo and peered at the back, reading the cursive handwriting scribbled onto it. All that was written was three words, three simple, half-legible words.

_Remember your promise._


End file.
